NBA Saturday Draftstars DFS Preview and Projections for March 21, 2026
Last updated: Mar 20, 2026, 11:31AM | Published: Mar 20, 2026, 8:41AM
Draftstars Australia's NBA Saturday DFS contest commences at 10:30am AEDT on March 21, 2026, and Fantasy Insider has crunched the numbers for each player on the slate to help you build winning line-ups.
A reliable Draftstars cheat sheet is a must for NBA fantasy players. This DFS preview is designed to help you put together your fantasy teams for Draftstars' NBA contests and improve your season-long fantasy line-ups on March 21 and beyond.
Featured NBA Games
Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate features the following games:
- Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Boston Celtics
- Houston Rockets vs Atlanta Hawks
- Detroit Pistons vs Golden State Warriors
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Portland Trail Blazers
- Denver Nuggets vs Toronto Raptors
Fantasy Insider, renowned for its world-class DFS tools and projections since 2015, uses the same machine learning models as Stats Insider to produce some of the strongest DFS projections in the world.
With the latest NBA fantasy insights and DFS strategies from Fantasy Insider, you're set to win in more NBA fantasy contests.
Cheat Sheet and Projections
We have reviewed every player from every team to help you find the best choices on Saturday's slate.
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN, C) | $25,540 | 63.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU, PF/SF) | $8,930 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Daniss Jenkins (DET, PG) | $10,900 | 23.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Sasser (DET, SG/PG) | $6,630 | 23 | 3.5 |
According to Fantasy Insider's DFS model, our "stud" is the highest projected scorer across the slate, while "value" picks offer the most "bang for your buck," meaning they're expected to perform well relative to their salary.
Conversely, a "fade" is a player considered to offer lower value for money, based on their expected score relative to their salary. For budget-conscious strategies, "cheapie" options refer to the best value players at lower price points not already mentioned.
In fantasy sports, understanding value—assessing a player's potential output against their salary—is crucial, as players scoring high relative to their cost are key in crafting the optimal line-up.
The "Pts/$1K" metric shows the predicted points for every $1,000 of a player's salary. A higher number indicates better value, making it easier to spot players who could outperform their cost.
Positional Breakdown
PG (Point Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Deni Avdija (POR) | $17,200 | 50.8 | 3 |
| Value | Marcus Sasser (DET) | $6,630 | 23 | 3.5 |
| Fade | Daniss Jenkins (DET) | $10,900 | 23.1 | 2.1 |
| Cheapie | Reed Sheppard (HOU) | $8,990 | 28.4 | 3.2 |
SG (Shooting Guard)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $16,120 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Value | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $16,120 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Fade | Ty Jerome (MEM) | $12,920 | 29.5 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Marcus Sasser (DET) | $6,630 | 23 | 3.5 |
SF (Small Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jaylen Brown (BOS) | $16,120 | 60 | 3.7 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU) | $8,930 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Ausar Thompson (DET) | $11,700 | 26.7 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Sam Hauser (BOS) | $6,160 | 19.6 | 3.2 |
PF (Power Forward)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Jalen Johnson (ATL) | $21,410 | 57 | 2.7 |
| Value | Tari Eason (HOU) | $8,930 | 34.2 | 3.8 |
| Fade | Julius Randle (MIN) | $17,240 | 41.8 | 2.4 |
| Cheapie | Sam Hauser (BOS) | $6,160 | 19.6 | 3.2 |
C (Center)
| Selection | Player | Salary | Proj. Pts | Pts/$1K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stud | Nikola Jokić (DEN) | $25,540 | 63.3 | 2.5 |
| Value | Neemias Queta (BOS) | $10,390 | 34.2 | 3.3 |
| Fade | Donovan Clingan (POR) | $14,630 | 33.2 | 2.3 |
| Cheapie | Robert Williams (POR) | $7,950 | 25.4 | 3.2 |
Conclusion
When building your NBA Saturday teams, consider starting with a value player like Tari Eason. To secure one of the highest projected scorers, Nikola Jokić is a strong option. If you're looking for budget-friendly choices to free up salary cap for more studs, take a look at our cheapie options, including Marcus Sasser.
On the other hand, according to our model, Daniss Jenkins is one of the worst value options on the slate, suggesting you might want to limit exposure to him if building multiple line-ups.
Ready to go? Draftstars' NBA Saturday slate closes at 10:30am AEDT on Saturday. ENTER NOW!
As with all NBA DFS contests, whether you start with our studs or build around our value picks, leveraging Fantasy Insider's data-driven NBA fantasy news and strategies, combined with your own research, can enhance your chances of winning in the NBA Saturday slate. The unique insights here can help you balance star power, value and budget management when you make your NBA DFS line-ups.
For the latest projections and optimised NBA Saturday line-ups, check out the Fantasy Insider Cruncher on Draftstars! It's free to use when you're logged in.
Please note that if you use our DFS tips for betting purposes, ensure you gamble responsibly and keep track of your money. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
